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| Guy Pearce (winner Best Actor), Vincent Miller (Nominee Best Actor), Inside |
Director/writer Charles Williams’ indie prison feature INSIDE was named BEST FILM among four major awards presented last night by the by the Film Critics Circle of Australia (FCCA) in their annual awards for Australian film.
Charles Williams was awarded the Best Director and Best Screenplay awards, and Guy Pearce was recognised for Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Lead Role, in addition to the Best Film award for producers Kate Glover and Marion Macgowan.
The FCCA Awards, Australia’s foremost critics’ awards, are positioned to provide a unique critical perspective on the best of Australian cinema during the international ‘awards season’. The sold-out awards ceremony was held for the first time at the iconic Rose of Australia Hotel in Erskineville.
Best Animated Feature went to LESBIAN SPACE PRINCESS, directed by Emma Hough Hobbs and Leela Varghese, produced by Tom Phillips.
Best Documentary Feature was presented to Gabrielle Brady’s THE WOLVES ALWAYS COME AT NIGHT, producers Julia Niethammer, Ariunaa Tserenpil and Rita Walsh.
BEAST OF WAR and THE SURFER each received two awards.
The late Julian McMahon was awarded Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role for THE SURFER, accepted at the event by his daughter Madison. The film also picked up the Best Music (Original Score) for composer François Tétaz.
BEAST OF WAR took home the Best Cinematography and Editing awards, for DOP Mark Wareham ACS, and editors Kiah Roache-Turner, Regg Skwarko, Stephen Evans.
The female performance awards went to Susie Porter for Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Lead Role for THE TRAVELLERS, while Marta Dusseldorp won Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role for WITH OR WITHOUT YOU.
Kriv Stenders’ THE CORRESPONDENT was recognised for Best Production Design for Fiona Donovan APDG.
The new award honouring the late David Stratton was presented by his longtime friend and collaborator Richard Kuipers who thanked David’s widow Susie Craig for her endorsement of the award which acknowledges the finest films made outside Australia.
Kuipers praised Stratton’s immeasurable contribution to Australian cinema over his 57-year career, citing his revolutionary battle against censorship, and in doing so, the creation of a new classification code – the R Rating in November 1971 – which helped the Aussie New Wave of cinema to flourish and permitted countless more international films to be screened here commercially.
“From almost the moment he was born David loved cinema. Upon becoming Sydney Film Festival director in 1966 David made it his mission to bring the very best in world cinema to audiences here, and to fight for the rights of audiences to watch these films uncut, as their makers intended them to be seen.
“What he wrote and what he said about Australian and international cinema will be read and listened to forever. David travelled EVERYWHERE to find these films for SFF and it is in that spirit of discovery and embracing films and filmmakers from all over the world that this award is named, and given.”
The inaugural David Stratton Award for International Film is presented to Director Jacques Audiard for EMILIA PEREZ.
The FCCA Awards are sponsored by See Saw Films, Bunya Productions, Piccolo Films and Allen and Unwin.
Media contact
Cathy Gallagher 0416 227 282 cathy@abcgfilm.com
ABOUT THE FCCA
The FCCA exists to add support to Australian film culture, to provide a forum for issues affecting film and filmgoers (such as film classification and censorship), to participate in international critics’ juries, and assist Australian film festivals with international jury representation, and to provide professional support for critics. Visit fcca.com.au for more.
FCCA Awards for the Australian Films of 2025 – WINNERS
BEST FILM
Inside (Prod: Kate Glover, Marian Macgowan)
BEST DIRECTOR
Charles Williams for Inside
BEST SCREENPLAY
Charles Williams for Inside
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Mark Wareham ACS for Beast of War
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Guy Pearce for Inside
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Julian McMahon for The Surfer
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A LEAD ROLE
Susie Porter for The Travellers
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Marta Dusseldorp for With or Without You
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
The Wolves Always Come At Night
Director: Gabrielle Brady. Producers: Julia Niethammer, Ariunaa Tserenpil, Rita Walsh
BEST MUSIC (ORIGINAL SCORE)
François Tétaz for The Surfer
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
Fiona Donovan APDG for The Correspondent
BEST EDITING
Stephen Evans, Kiah Roache-Turner, Regg Skwarko for Beast of War
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Lesbian Space Princess
Directors: Emma Hough Hobbs, Leela Varghese. Producer: Tom Phillips
THE DAVID STRATTON AWARD FOR INTERNATIONAL FILM
Emilia Perez (Dir: Jacques Audiard)
